Cough Syrup
by MichiganStarKid16
Summary: Life's too short to even care at all. That's Marlene McKinnon's motto. Until she does start caring. Caring for someone she never thought she would care for. Welcome insanity.
1. Chapter 1

Life's too short to even care at all.

Oh, I'm losing my mind, losing my mind, losing control.

**-Cough Syrup**

* * *

_August 29, 1977:_

It's a Monday.

I should have known the world would decide to turn upside-down on a Monday.

Let me explain, dear journal. I am now a brunette. That's right. Marlene McKinnon, the brown-haired twit. My beautiful blonde hair, gone, thanks to a certain rubbish Head Boy.

Wait. I'm getting ahead of myself. I _told_ mum I'm a horrid writer...

Anyway. This morning started as any old Summer morning. I woke up and headed down the stairs into the family room. And that's about where the normality ends.

James Potter was in my living room.

Knowing James since I was born has it's own set of challenges, but for one thing, I'm not surprised when he suddenly shows up in my living room. At least he's past the point of caring when my (still gloriously blonde) hair looks like it was attacked by a couple of homeless birds. However, him in my house this early was a bit unorthodox.

"What's-" (yawn) "-wrong? Why're you here?" I asked while in the midst of rubbing the sleep out of my eyes.

"It's Monday." he replied with his signature smirk.

I frowned at him. "Lovely. That's explains a lot, thank you."

"Lord, Marlene, no need to get snippy." He clucked his tongue at me and smiled from the chair he was sprawled in. "It's Monday the twenty-ninth, we're stealing you."

I let out a huge sigh. Ever since James and I started school together, my parents think it's an absolutely _grand_ idea to have me spend the first few days before school with James. I'm not against it, I mean, James is like my brother. But it makes me feel like I'm, you know, unwanted. I feel like they're trying to push me away quicker.

Too busy frowning, I hadn't noticed James had gotten up out of his chair and started to detangle my hair. He had started blabbing on about Quidditch and I tried to pay attention, but my mind was elsewhere. Something about James had changed, but I couldn't put my finger on it.

It didn't have anything to do with his looks, oh no. Nothing had changed that I knew of. Puberty hadn't taken away the gift bestowed on the boy, I'll say that much without feeling incestuous. But really, it's no wonder he has his own group of fangirls. I mean, his messy black hair that annoys the shit out of me because it defies gravity stayed the same. He still the same skinny build with the wiry-muscles. But none of that had changed. He was just... different.

"Marlene, did you even hear me?" James asked, yanking me out of my thoughts.

"Er... No."

He poked me hard in the ribs. "Pay attention. This is amazing for me!"

I turned around and looked at him. "What is?"

You see, James and I never get to finish a conversation. Like, never ever. I really should have expected Mrs. Potter and my mum to walk in at that exact moment and hustle me along.

"Marlene! Why aren't you dressed yet?" my mum 'yelled'. Mum doesn't yell, she just talks louder. It's impossible for her to be intimidating. It's kind of like a kitten trying to bite you. "Go get dressed!" she tried. "Mrs. Potter is waiting!"

So I (somewhat) obeyed her like the good daughter I am.

Have you ever just stared at yourself in the mirror? That's what I did. I am the queen of procrastination, so I stared at myself in the mirror.

Unlike most girls my age, I'm actually happy with the way I look. I love my shoulder-length blond hair. My eyes aren't too small. For a girl of seventeen, I look older than I should, but I honestly don't mind. I'm not too chubby and my Quidditch skills have gotten me plenty of muscles.

Soon my mother talked loud some more and I stopped looking at myself and we were off to the Potter's.

Cue dramatic music.

He's where things get upside-down.

So once all my stuff is in one of the Potter's guest rooms and I'm finally ready to fall back asleep, James dragged me out the door.

"C'mon Marlene," he whined, pulling me to the front of the house. "I've been trying to play Quidditch as much as possible this Summer so we'll beat Ravenclaw in the first match. I need to train you up."

"Is that why I'm here? So you can point out everything I'm doing wrong?" I stepped over to James as he handed me my broom. Had he gotten that out of my shed before we left?

"Get going, McKinnon." he yelled behind him as he sped off on his broom, not waiting for me to mount my own.

I love Quidditch. I mean, I _have_ been on Gryffindor's Quidditch team since third year and if I may say so myself, I'm a pretty great chaser. Well, not as good as _Captain Potter_, as he insists we call him, but you get the point. I'm good.

Good enough, at least, that I shouldn't have fallen. But you can't blame me. I'll get to that soon enough.

"Heads up, McKinnon!" James shouted, tossing a quaffle at my head.

Balancing precariously on my broom I caught it and tossed it back quicker than usual. Hm. Mum's excersize tape must have worked.

"So, James, what is the '_amazing_ _thing_' you wanted to tell me?" I shouted across the pitch as he lobbed the funny little red ball back toward me.

"Oh! I'm Head Boy!"

I wasn't prepared for _that_ answer and you really can't blame me, now can you. I thought is was going to be something more James-like, such as "oh, Marlene! I bought something with muggle money!" or "Sirius found a toenail shaped like Merlin's beard!"

But, "I'm Head Boy" caught me way off guard.

With a squeal I lost my balance on my broom and toppled off. Next thing I know I'm on the ground staring up at the clouds. I didn't _feel_ hurt. Just... tingly. And floaty. If that's a word.

James came running up to me, worried to the point of hyperventilating. "Marlene! Are you okay?" suddenly his face went pale, "Oh no, you're not."

I tilted my head up to look at my limp body. My arms were okay. My right leg, not so much. I felt queasy looking at it. Gross. I don't think it's supposed to bend that way.

James adjusted his glasses and started mumbling incoherently. Occasionally reaching for one of my arms then decided against it.

"Oh for Merlin's sake, James! Help me up!" I hissed.

"Er... Okay, ready?" He grabbed my arms and in one swift movement, my arm was slung over his shoulder and I was standing.

But then the pain decided to start.

I let out a scream so awful I didn't know I could even make that kind of sound. Or that any human could, actually. I tried holding back tears but honestly, I was in a fragile state, so no judging allowed.

I cried like a baby.

"That's it!" I started bumbling. "I'm dead! I'll never walk again! Peeves will have to fly me to all my classes, occasionally giving everyone in the corridor below a view of my knickers!"

"Calm down, McKinnon." James said, taking a weary look at my leg.

Every step we took (well, he took. I was sort of clinging to him as he walked. I jiggled, though.) brought a new shock of pain and more bumbling. I'm such an idiot when I'm in pain.

After what seemed like a mile of walking we finally made it into the house. And then James stepped on my foot.

"OW! Bloody hell, James!" I shouted tears still running down my cheeks.

"Sorry, sorry." he seemed to be looking around for something. Although I barely gave it much thought then because of the excruciating pain coming from my leg. But, dear journal, remind me to be more observant.

James decided to drag me into the family room and set me on the couch while he looked for whatever. I wouldn't have had a problem with that if he had set me down. But no. He thew me onto the couch with another scream escaping from my mouth.

"Just stay here." James said, peering around for something to somehow make the situation better.

"Like I'm going anywhere." I retorted.

He ran out of the room and I shut my eyes. I needed to focus on the positive things. Maybe I won't have to do Charms homework for the first week. Maybe I'll get to spend the first week of school with Pomfrey. She loves me.

"McKinnon!" a boy with long black hair and an elegant face boomed, looking surprised.

Instantly my thoughts came to a halt. I knew that voice. Why was _he_ here? I mean, he had more of a right to be here than I did- he bloody lived here, after all, but still. It's surprising he hadn't heard me howling in pain a few minutes ago and decided to investigate. I peeked an eye open and my heart dropped.

"Bloody hell, what did you do?" he asked, strolling in calmly, though his eyes told a different story. Sure, put an injured girl in front of him, that's fine, but if she's crying, he'd be looking for an escape route. I learned this when Emma Vance was crying because she'd gotten a _Dreadful_ on her Potions O.W.L. and was sobbing during breakfast when we got our timetables last year because she couldn't be an Auror. I've never seen Sirius bolt from breakfast without eating at least a plate of something unhealthy before in my life.

"Nothing, Sirius. Why would you think something was wrong?" I snapped back to reality.

"Oh I don't know, Maybe it's the fact that you're crying and you leg is practically up your ass!"

My eyes shot open to glare at him, "Why are you even here?" I retorted, before realizing the answer a second later. Duh. Blimey, I'm daft.

"I live here! Why are _you_ here?"

Only then did I notice he wasn't wearing a shirt and I quickly shut my eyes again. Not that I didn't need a distraction. Just not that much of one, please.

Okay, shush. I don't fancy him. Not in the slightest. Anyone would find him shirtless a distraction. Hmph.

"Okay, Marley, you ready?" I heard Sirius say.

I opened my eyes again quickly, "What? Ready for what?" I was so panicked at this point that I didn't even bother to yell at Sirius for calling me Marley.

But before I could inquire more from the shirtless Marauder, Sirius quickly said some sort of spell I didn't catch and a brand new sort of pain shot up my leg.

"Ow! Sirius! Bloody hell!" I bit my lip to keep from screaming "Where's Mrs. Potter?!" I whined behind tears.

"Work." James muttered. "Move over, Padfoot. Let me try." he shoved Sirius out of the way and pulled out his wand.

I groaned. "No! I am _not_ your test dummy! If neither of you morons know how to fix my bloody leg take me to St. Mungos!"

"Let's try once more okay, McKinnon?" Sirius sighed, looking impatient before shooting me a smile.

The way that black-haired boy was smiling you'd think everything was going to be okay. So, as panicked as I was, I didn't think twice about taking Sirius's hand.

Another incoherent spell and more pain shot up my leg. I let out a little squeak but it wasn't as bad this time. I honestly thought it might've been fixed until James bloody Potter said two words one never wants to hear when he's on the other side of a wand.

"Oh, _shit._"

My hand unclenched from Sirius's and I gave him a fearful look. "What?" I asked, "What happened?"

"Erm..." was the boy's reply.

"What did you do? Is my leg still there?" I yelled at James

Very calmly for a boy about to be punched, James took a clump of my hair and pulled it across my face so I could see it.

This time I had a valid reason to sound like I was being murdered. (Not really, but, you know. A reason's a reason.)

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY HAIR?"

"I don't know! But on the bright side, your leg looks fixed!" James smiled innocently.

"How did you bloody manage to do that?!" I squealed taking random clumps of hair and pulling them to my face, still disbelieving that my hair had turned brown. Brown, as in the same color as dirt. As in, _brown._

"Um. Luck?"

With a huff I swung my legs across the couch and tried to stand up. I was going to beat the life out of him. Dumbledore will have to find a new Head Boy. This one is dead meat.

But as soon as my leg had to support my weight I fell over in a whirl of new brown hair and squeals.

"Marlene. Sit back down." Sirius said picking me up and setting me back on the couch, "I don't think he fixed it. Remus is coming tomorrow, he'll know what to do."

I tossed a scowl in his direction. And told him to go get my journal.

And now I'm sitting here with an unusable leg and dirt hair. This must be karma or something. I didn't do anything wrong! _Why_, karma, _why_? Are you punishing me for staring at a shirtless Sirius? Because I don't fancy him.

You know, I never found out why he was shirtless. I'm going to assume he was hot. Not... _hot_ hot. Warm hot. I never said he was _hot_ hot. I don't think that. And now he's jumping on the bed. He's like an overgrown five-year-old. A not _hot_ hot five-year-old. I mean, I don't generally find five-year-olds _hot_ hot.

Ugh. I need a nap.

Over and out,

Marlene McKinnon


	2. Chapter 2

_So leave that click in my head__  
__And I will remember the words that you said__  
__-Mumford and Sons, Hopeless Wanderer__  
_

August 30, 1977

I've never been in love. Not like the way Remus describes it. I've never just seen anyone and felt like fainting. My hands just don't shake around that week's 'certain someone', and I've never heard my heart pounding in my ears because of someone. I've never lost balance when someone kissed me, my voice has never failed me. I'm _positive_I've never been in love.

And in some ways, I'm glad I haven't. From what I've seen and heard, it only brings pain. And honestly?

RIGHT NOW, I DON'T WANT ANYMORE PAIN.

I mean, hell, Remus said he was going to fix my leg. Not make it feel like it was jabbed with an especially splinter-y wand. Repeatedly.

Let's run through what happened, yeah?

(And don't you worry. That pathetic, downright _whiny_start, dear journal, comes into play later.)

Apparently last night, neither Mr. or Mrs. Potter came home, so I ended up falling asleep on the Potter's couch while a stressed out James paced back and forth behind me.

I woke up this morning and, absentmindedly, immediately tried to launch up and use the loo because I got some breakfast. BUT! Not only did my leg still not support my weight- my dark-as-the-pits-of-Hell brown hair caught me off guard, so I didn't see where I was falling.

I landed on an asleep Head Boy.

"GAH! BLOODY HELL- Marlene?" A groggy James jumped up from under me, and my head banged on the wood floor.

I groaned in pain, probably sounding like I was speaking Mermish.

"What are you doing?!" James asked as I sat upright on the floor.

I looked up at him pathetically and sighed. "I have to pee."

I have never seen pure, utter terror on that boy's face until that moment.

"Can't you hold it?" he begged. "Mum will, hopefully, be home soon!"

At this point I thought it futile to argue with James, so I gave him a disapproving sigh and a slight nod. And who would've guessed that that git threw me on that stupid couch again.

Ugh.

So I sat on that couch for awhile, pondering. Trying desperately to focus on anything but loo-related things, which, of course, was pretty difficult, considering the walls in the Potter's family room could only be described as "ocean blue".

Right before I was positive I was going to explode, the front door opened and in stepped the one and only, Remus Lupin.

Remus looked the same as the last time I saw him. He still had that same skinny build, the same sandy hair that grew past his ears. He had a few more scars though. A bigger gash across his handsome face and pretty big bandage wrapped around his left arm. I still haven't found out how he keeps getting those scars. All anyone ever says its from is his 'furry little problem', so I guess a safe assumption would be he just has a badly-behaved man-eating rabbit. I heard Hagrid was breeding them in second year.

"JAMES BLOODY POTTER" I shouted from my spot on the couch, inevitably scaring poor Remus, "REMUS IS HERE."

But rather than James coming though the doorway, I heard a familiar booming voice shout from the top of the stairs.

"MOONY!"

Oh, it gets _so_much better.

Sirius, very skillfully for an overgrown five-year-old, slid down the railing on the stairs and practically flung himself into the arms of the boy standing in the doorway.

"Oh, my sweet Moony," Sirius mocked in a girly voice, "Dearest Moony, where have you been? You had me worried sick!"

With a small smirk Remus tossed Sirius to the floor, and tossed his bag on top of him.

"Well I'm here now, and you can be a dear and take my bags-" Remus came to a halt as he spotted me on the couch.

"Whatever, mate." Sirius stood up clutching Remus' bag, "I didn't need help getting up anyway." He started walking back up the stairs, "Don't forget to tip your waitress!"

"What happened to you?" Remus walked over to me ignoring Sirius.

"Oh, nothing." I sang, "I tried to save some orphans from a giant poisonous bear. The bear broke my leg but I still saved the orphans."

I heard him chuckle under his breath, "I meant your hair. I didn't know you leg was broken."

I glared at him, "My hair isn't important. I really need you to help my leg because I. Have. To. Pee."

This time he laughed out loud, "Where's James?"

"No, I don't think you understand, Remus. I. Really. Have. To. _Pee."_

Remus sighed, "Fine. Okay, I'll fix your leg, then tell me where James is."

I grunted in agreement, which he hopefully understood.

He took out his wand and pointed it at my throbbing leg, "Well... Marlene, this is gonna hurt. And I mean... _really._Sorry."

I shut my eyes and he muttered some spell, which again I didn't catch because my leg felt like it had exploded in to a billion pieces. And it felt like each one of those pieces was being stabbed by an extremely blunt quill.

So I screamed.

And I kept screaming.

"Marlene! Shush!" Remus tried to calm me down. "Your leg is fixed! It's over."

More screaming.

"It's done!" Remus shouted frantically over my pathetic shrieks. "It's fine! Calm down!"

"What the hell?" James ran in, "Oh, look. You fixed it. Good job, Moony."

"Obviously I didn't if she's still screaming!"

James turned to me, "Marlene! Shut up!"

I stopped screaming, finally, but I was still sobbing. I don't know why. I guess it was one of those things that once you start you can't stop. And no matter what Sirius says, I managed to stop on my own.

"What the hell happened?" I heard Sirius ask, while I still sobbed dumbly.

I don't think anyone answered him, which is why he was suddenly kneeling next to the couch, "Shh, Marlene. It's okay." He tried to calm me down, which was very sweet. I mean, he then ruined it by saying "Merlin, don't be such a wuss," but I can look past that.

My sobs lessened down to a whimper and managed to take in a shaky breath.

"See?" Sirius smirked, "You're okay."

Which, in fact, I wasn't okay. I wasn't okay _at all_. I was wondering if I heard him right.

Did he call me Marlene?

"Here," I was suddenly being picked up by Remus, "You still have to go to the loo?"

I nodded. Remus let me use him as a crutch all the way there. My leg could finally support my weight, but it was still a bit tender, so I wasn't against the Remus-crutch.

But I think he called me Marlene. Did he?

I was able to walk by myself back to the couch. But Remus still tagged along. I flopped myself down, happy for the freedom, and Remus sat next to me. We sat there in silence for awhile, until Remus decided to break it with the worst question that could have been asked,

"D'you fancy him?"

"What?"

"Sirius, do you fancy him?"

"Well, what do mean by 'fancy'?"

Remus threw me a quizzical look as if to say, are you serious? But he turned his attention back to the really interesting floor,

"I mean, do you ever feel like you're going to faint? Do your hands start to shake when you see him? Do you find yourself loosing your balance at the mere thought of him? Do you find yourself wishing on stars?"

I thought for a moment. I actually had never experienced any of that. I mean, I have had my fair share of boyfriends, but none of them have ever caused me to loose my balance. I don't think I've ever wished on a star.

"No. No, I don't." I answered plainly.

"Oh."

"What about you? Have you ever wished for someone?"

He sat there in silence for awhile, no doubt thinking of a way to get out of the question.

"Yeah." He finally muttered before getting up and walking away.

That boy is so bloody secretive. I mean, I could handle a few secrets, but Remus Lupin is the definition of secretive. And it drives me up a wall.

Whatever, though.

Tune in next time for more painful misadventures,

Marlene McKinnon


End file.
